What is an architectural work?

The Copyright Act defines an architectural work as including the design of a building as embodied in a tangible form (the building itself), along with any plans or drawings of the building. This includes the overall form of the building, as well as the composition of the building’s design, although it does not include any standard features (a stairwell, for example). While blueprints and drawings have always been protected as pictorial and graphic works, buildings themselves have only been protected since December 1, 1990 (which was when this category for architectural works was created).